Breast or Bottle?

Hobbitfeet

Just wondering how many people breastfeed their babies now?
I lived and working in Oslo Norway for a few years and it seems like everyone there breastfeeds. I seen so many women breast feeding in public on the tram, park bench, cafes everywhere and nobody passed any notice on them apart from me because I was shocked to see so many people openly breast feeding in public, which I thought was great
My sister has a 9 month old and breast feeds and I notice all the time when she does in public she gets a lot of funny looks from people and has had people move table in cafes away from her. She is very discreet about it too so I dont see what the problem is. I will be breast feeding and wonder is this still such a taboo in Ireland. Are the majority of mothers bottle feeding? Why? Why are mothers afraid to breast feed their babies?

IvyTheTerrible

Hobbitfeet wrote: »

Just wondering how many people breastfeed their babies now?
I lived and working in Oslo Norway for a few years and it seems like everyone there breastfeeds. I seen so many women breast feeding in public on the tram, park bench, cafes everywhere and nobody passed any notice on them apart from me because I was shocked to see so many people openly breast feeding in public, which I thought was great
My sister has a 9 month old and breast feeds and I notice all the time when she does in public she gets a lot of funny looks from people and has had people move table in cafes away from her. She is very discreet about it too so I dont see what the problem is. I will be breast feeding and wonder is this still such a taboo in Ireland. Are the majority of mothers bottle feeding? Why? Why are mothers afraid to breast feed their babies?

I don't know anything about numbers of mothers breastfeeding, but from anecdotal evidence from friends and acquaintences that there is a lot of negativity when women breastfeed in public. I myself heard a horrible piece on Liveline about a year ago where an older woman was complaining about a woman breastfeeding in a cafe, and that this breastfeeding woman was asked to leave the cafe by the owner.

Cottontail

I breastfed my son and will be doing so again for the next one. I can honestly say I've never had a problem when breastfeeding in public. If people give me funny looks then let them, it's their problem, not mine. But as I say, i've never had problems feeding in public.

alchemist33

I can't quote you a figure, but my wife, a midwife, tells me we're quite low on the European breastfeeding league table. As mentioned above, there are frequent stories in the Irish media about breastfeeding women getting a hard time. These stories really annoy me. I think it's a generational thing, though, and this attitude will start to die out soon.

Moonbeam

Breast feeding is a lot more effort in a lot of ways and less in others.
I breastfed both of mine for the 1st 3 months,it is great for night feeds as you don't have to go make a bottle.
It is stressful from a weight gain prospective,if the baby doesn't gain weight and is feeding,mastitis,thrush,the pain of breast feeding the pumping of milk to see how much they take.
I wish I could have breastfed mine both solely for the 1st 6 months and then kept it up for a year with food etc but it wasn't to be.
I would urge everyone to at least try to breast feed even if it is along with bottles.

nikkibikki

Was just gonna say that I think it's a generational thing. I remember saying it to my future mother in law when I was pregnant on our son that I was planning on breast feeding and she made a funny face and said something like "yuck" to me! I didn't let it put me off tho! My own mother breast fed us for 6 weeks. I started breast feeding our son but had to give up after 2 days due to illness and feel awful for having to do that. Will defo be doing it for any future babies I may have, pg!

Cat Melodeon

I think only Scotland is below Ireland in the EU breastfeeding rates, our take-up is pretty dismal. A lot of it is because there was such a massive trend towards formula in the 50s and 60s here, women were told it was healthier to bottle feed! So a lot of our mothers and grandmothers would have bottlefed not knowing any different, and the knock-on effect is that many of us would have had little or no exposure to breastfeeding when growing up, so much so that it's been almost exceptional in the last 2 decades to breastfeed.

Luckily trends are changing a bit. By degrees, women seem to be switching back and society in general is becoming a bit more open to it again. Rates increased last year, up to 47% of babies were breastfed on leaving hospital, but unfortunately only 3% were still being breastfed at 6 months (HSE stats 2010). Undoubtedly this is mostly down to lack of support - when parents and in-laws and random strangers react like you're a bit of a freak, it can be a bit off-putting! Going back to work is a big issue to, unfortunately many people begin switching to bottles early not realising that it can be easy to express enough milk for feeds once they move on to solids. Some people just find it doesn't work out for them for whatever reason, there is a stigma attached to that too which can pressure people not to try at all. And some just don't want to, or find it too hard, and that's usually down to lack of support, lack of awareness, or simply personal choice. Whatever, all babies get fed and that's the important thing.

If anyone is planning on breastfeeding, one of the things I found most important was getting my other half involved. I made it clear how important it was for me and our baby to give it a go, banned him from ever saying 'maybe just try one bottle' and made him promise to get up with me on nights that I was finding it hard (night 4 was a nightmare, it got better from then on), just to make me a cup of tea and be nice to me. It worked, he was great, and once I began expressing he was able to take some of those night feeds all on his own. Not having formula in the house helped too. For me it would have had to have been a deliberate decision to switch over or start combining, not one made in the fog of 4am when my milk hadn't even come in properly yet. Hopefully it will all work out as well when #2 arrives next Nov!

There are some fantastic groups out there that can really help get you through the difficult first couple of weeks. La Leche League has a bit of a hardcore image but the Irish group is made up of lovely people. Cuidiu can give contact details of breastfeeding consultants. My favourite two are The Breast Way, an online support forum with a discussion board moderated by professional breastfeeding support staff and Friends of Breastfeeding, another voluntary group of people interested in supporting and celebrating breastfeeding (they also have an online support forum and are involved in awareness-building and supports like listing baby-friendly restaurants etc).

I know I wouldn't have stayed feeding for so long (or even for a full week) if it hadn't been for the last two of those listed. Sometimes in the early days you just need to vent to people who understand what you're going through and that can be enough to get you through to the next feed. For me, soon enough I was sailing and couldn't remember what all the fuss was about!

Ayla

I fed both of my girls exclusively (first girl for 7 months, second girl for 9 months), although both started gumming solids around 4-5 months as well.

I fed anywhere & everywhere - like cottontail said, if someone has a problem with it, it is their problem. My babe's hungry, she got fed. I never once saw a dirty look or felt any negative reaction.

My sister lives in Oslo & I can agree that they have almost a 100% breastfeeding rate. Surely Norwegian women's breasts are not built differently from Irish women's, so the only rationalisation for why the b/feeding rate here is so low is just society's perceptions & support.

Btw, it is now illegal for any business to ask a breastfeeding woman to move/leave.

How Strange

I'm exclusively breastfeeding my 5 month old son. I decided to give it a go when I got pregnant first so I had lots of time to think about it and read up on it. My mother in law and husbands aunt both breastfed so they were supportive from the very beginning. I also have a few friends who'd breastfed and that was a fantastic support during the dark days at the start. Apart from my aunt, no other woman in my family had ever breastfed.

I remember having a conversation with my mam, sister and aunts around this time last year about breastfeeding. My mam was telling me a story about friends of hers (husband and wife) who were in a cafe and a group of women started breastfeeding and the couple, who are young and quite liberal in most ways, walked out in disgust. They felt the women were shoving it in their faces just to make a point. My mam said something along the lines of 'its all well and good but they shouldn't be doing it in public. I asked her what point they thought the women were making; perhaps their babies were just hungry and needed to be fed. She now sees how easy it is and although she still raises an eyebrow at 'feeding on demand' rather than on a schedule.

At the beginning I was quite shy about feeding in public and in front of my family, particularly my dad and brothers. When in my parents I used to go to the other sitting room and feed in there. After a while I got used to feeding in public and got to the point where I thought it was ridiculous to leave a warm room and bring a baby into a cold room to feed him so I just did it there and then. Yes, it was awkward the first couple of times but now I feed my son in the living room while my dad watches tv and my brother messes around on his pc. No-one even notices.

Regarding feeding in public, I was in Wagamama in Blanchardstown yesterday at lunchtime. I asked the server if I could sit at the back table thinking I'd sit with my back to the room and feed. She said I couldn't so I sat in the middle of the room and took the boob out and fed. A few people turned around to look but you know what, I couldn't give a sh1t. My baby needs to be fed. I decided at the beginning that if I was going to continue feeding then I'd have to get over my shyness and be comfortable feeding anywhere. It was incredibly daunting at the beginning but it got easier by degrees and now I wouldn't even think twice about it.

I don't use the feeding rooms in shopping centres because firstly I feel its a completely normal and healthy thing to do and perhaps if women see other women breastfeeding it will give them the confidence to give it a go. Secondly the feeding areas are usually in the changing room so they stink of dirty nappies and if you and I don't go into the toilets to eat our lunch or dinner then why should a baby have to.

I agree that your other half has to be completely and totally supportive of breastfeeding. Its also essential to have experienced breastfeeding women close by to give a hand (literally sometimes!) when things get tough especially at the start. It's hard work at the beginning and there were a lot of times when I really thought 'sod this, I'm getting formula tomorrow' because I was exhausted. I also had a couple of episodes of mastitis which were horrible but I always said I'd give it another day and see how it went and before I knew it the bad times had passed and I was ok again. Once you get passed 3 months it really becomes plain sailing.

La Leche are very good and they are a great support with a huge amount of knowledge but I find them slightly too idealistic. They don't agree with soothers or expressing or even routines of any sort. They think we should put the baby on the boob to feed and soothe whenever they want it but for most women thats not practical. If I hadn't given my fella a soother he'd have been attached 24/7. Also I personally feel its important to express so the mother can go out for an afternoon on her own or just take a night off and get some sleep

I'm completely pro breastfeeding now and I would encourage any expectant mother to just give it a try. A lot of women think that breastfeeding is a hassle and you're tied to your baby. In one sense thats true (in the nicest possible way) but in another you're so free to do anything or go anywhere. You don't have to plan your days out and make sure you have enough formula and bottles with you. All you need are a few nappies and off you go. Another worry is the nightfeeds because breastfed babies usually don't sleep 12 hours (unless you're blessed with the perfect baby!) but once you get the hang of it the feeding becomes second nature. I sometimes can't remember how often I fed him during the night as I'll usually fall asleep mid feed.

Ayla

Also, OP, I think it's important to say that breastfeeding isn't always hard. I understand a lot of women may have physical difficulties (mastistis, cracked nipples, etc) but not too many women say how easy it can be.

I had both of my girls on my breast within minutes of their birth, and they immediately latched on. I never looked back after that. I never needed any assistance or advice, and my husband's family (the only family I have here) was not really pro-breastfeeding. I have heard that other women (like those on this thread) have had positive experiences with the likes of Le Leche, so if you need them they're there, but you may not need them at all.

Now I know that many women don't have this experience, but I think it's important to say that that may not be your case. I never once had any problems with feeding or supply, and I only expressed with my first girl when I went back to work. I did all the nightfeeds, usually half asleep in bed myself.

The only problem I ever had was when my second girl (who was never a happy content feeder) started biting down :eek:

How Strange

By complete coincidence I just saw a mail from the Elbow Room (Smithfield) regarding breastfeeding and they also have a free breastfeeding workshop on 10th July.

http://www.the-elbowroom.com/pregnant/top-11-tips-for-sucessfull-breastfeeding/?utm_source=The+elbowroom+list&utm_campaign=5d0a552c3e-RSS_New_Mums_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email

lasser

BF if you have the right frame of mind about it and the sup[port and the correct information about it can be such a joy there is nothing like the bonding experience of feeding your own baby and so many woman miss out on that cos of misunderstanding about how it works and how beneficial it is not just for baby but for you too.
I would recommend you research it fully in advance arming yourself for any difficulties at the beginning which may occur Jack Newman is an expert and really knows his stuff perhaps go on his website and have a good read also kellymom has loads of information too.
Some myths about BF is specifically at the beginning such as the baby feeds a lot so people wrongly think they do not have enough milk and recommend formula top ups, this is not true in the first few weeks your baby will feed a lot and formula is not the answer, the MW's will tell you to expect your lo to feed between 8-12 times a day when reality is they can feed more than that but they need to in order to get your supply to where they need it to be and once your supply is established it will ease off, also growth spurts will cause baby to feed a lot more for a few days so again people will say oh your baby isn't getting enough again this isn;t true they are just doing what they need to do to increase your supply and again will ease off once supply is where it needs to be if you go into BF expecting this knowing it's normal it will help along with many other things such as cracked nipples only occurs if baby is not latching correctly if you start to feel sore nip it in the bud asap and get a LC to help you if latch is correct from the start you should not experience sore and cracked nipples.
Also take no head to people saying 'you don't know how much your baby is getting' you don;t need to know this is an obsession that has developed since formula was introduced, if you watch your baby not a clock and not a chart you will be fine, if your baby is having wet and dirty nappies, periods when awake of being alert which entails eyes open looking around arms and legs flapping about, their nails are growing their skin looks healthy and they are generally contented then you honestly have no reason to worry about if they are getting enough they are getting enough.
There may be other problems that BF is blamed for but I would recommend from the start to seek proper advice from a fully qaulified BF expert such as from LLL, if any other problems do arise.
Be aware of what may happen from the start have the info you need from the start and you will be just fine I am sure of it

lasser

BF if you have the right frame of mind about it and the sup[port and the correct information about it can be such a joy there is nothing like the bonding experience of feeding your own baby and so many woman miss out on that cos of misunderstanding about how it works and how beneficial it is not just for baby but for you too.
I would recommend you research it fully in advance arming yourself for any difficulties at the beginning which may occur Jack Newman is an expert and really knows his stuff perhaps go on his website and have a good read also kellymom has loads of information too.
Some myths about BF is specifically at the beginning such as the baby feeds a lot so people wrongly think they do not have enough milk and recommend formula top ups, this is not true in the first few weeks your baby will feed a lot and formula is not the answer, the MW's will tell you to expect your lo to feed between 8-12 times a day when reality is they can feed more than that but they need to in order to get your supply to where they need it to be and once your supply is established it will ease off, also growth spurts will cause baby to feed a lot more for a few days so again people will say oh your baby isn't getting enough again this isn;t true they are just doing what they need to do to increase your supply and again will ease off once supply is where it needs to be if you go into BF expecting this knowing it's normal it will help along with many other things such as cracked nipples only occurs if baby is not latching correctly if you start to feel sore nip it in the bud asap and get a LC to help you if latch is correct from the start you should not experience sore and cracked nipples.
Also take no head to people saying 'you don't know how much your baby is getting' you don;t need to know this is an obsession that has developed since formula was introduced, if you watch your baby not a clock and not a chart you will be fine, if your baby is having wet and dirty nappies, periods when awake of being alert which entails eyes open looking around arms and legs flapping about, their nails are growing their skin looks healthy and they are generally contented then you honestly have no reason to worry about if they are getting enough they are getting enough.
There may be other problems that BF is blamed for but I would recommend from the start to seek proper advice from a fully qaulified BF expert such as from LLL, if any other problems do arise.
Be aware of what may happen from the start have the info you need from the start and you will be just fine I am sure of it

Das Kitty

I would give Breastfeeding a go, if it goes well it is the handiest way of feeding them. Don't worry about getting looks, I both breast and bottle fed and I got a few funny looks on each. There's always going to be judgmental people no matter what you do.

All I would say that if it doesn't work out, don't beat yourself up about it. I know it took me a long time to admit to myself that it wasn't getting any better for me (or James). I felt like a terrible mother when I had to stop, looking back now I feel like giving myself a big hug.

Hobbitfeet

Great comments from everyone
I'm lucky I come from a family of breastfeeders my mum has 5 children and breast fed us all some would say a little too long even me but that was her choice and it hasn't done us any harm. All of my aunts on my mothers side and married to my mothers side breast fed so there is no stigma in our house its the most normal thing. I'm not really worried about breast feeding in public or getting funny stares or looks I won't be doing anything wrong. So its the problem of the people staring I will only feel sorry for their narrow minds.

I just find it so strange that so many people young and old in this country find bf so disgusting and shameful when it is the most natural thing in the world. My mothers own opinion on this is that it has a lot to do with the catholic church who encouraged women to bottle feed and considered breast to be uncatholic and most shameful in public.

I will be going to breast feeding groups so I can meet new mothers and hopefully make some new friends and a great some great advice from everyone.

Also I heard that if someone complains about a breast feeding mother in eg a cafe that the management has the right to ask the person complaining to leave??

Cat Melodeon

Hobbitfeet wrote: »

Also I heard that if someone complains about a breast feeding mother in eg a cafe that the management has the right to ask the person complaining to leave??

Absolutely, and if the staff don't act to ensure the right of the mother/baby to feed in peace, the mother can lodge a complaint against them under the terms of the The Equal Status Act (2000) and The Intoxicating Liquor Act (2003):

If you are happy to breastfeed in a public area the owner, manager or staff of these premises (on their own behalf or on behalf of another customer) are not allowed to ask you to use separate facilities, or ask you to leave.
If you inform management and staff that you are being harassed by other customers for breastfeeding in public, they have a duty to protect you from this.

(from http://www.breastfeeding.ie)

theblueeyz

My wife has breastfed our son since the day he was born, and does so in public without any issues at all (so far).

We're adamant BF advocates. Formula has its place; some women can't produce enough milk to breastfeed, or other issues get in the way like illness. I get that. But in the normal, everyday case, breastfeeding is FAR more beneficial to the child (and the mom!) than formula.

We're pretty disappointed to see the dismal BF rates here in Ireland.

implausible

It's important to add in here for anyone reading this thread who is contemplating breastfeeding that, like everything to do with parenting, everyone has a different experience. I had no bleeding nipples, no mastitis and the weight fell off me (to the point where I was the skinniest I have ever been) when feeding my wee man. I had two very bad painful days, but after I was told that this would pass, I got through it and fed him for 7 months.

I was terrified doing it in public the first time, but I made sure I had two supportive friends with me out for lunch one day and they honestly couldn't see what the fuss was about and one of them exclaimed: "it's not like you can see anything like" (in a very loud Cork accent:eek::)). They had never seen anyone do it before either.

Neither my mother or mother-in-law breastfed or had seen anyone do it, but my mother (once she got over the amazement that he was gaining like a 'normal' baby) has become a big fan of it. She now broadcasts to anyone who wants to know (and lots who don't:eek:) that I breastfed her grandchild!

As more women do it, more people will become familiar with it. We've had decades of bottle-feeding being the norm in Ireland; it ain't going to change overnight!

hunnymonster

Deemark. I could have written your post. It reflects my experience exactly.

Hobbitfeet

I'm so happy to see so many positive comments from women and men I can't wait to give birth and start breast feeding. I'm glad attitudes to breast feeding are starting to change for the better and I hope more moms at least try it I hope they get the support they need to keep going with breastfeeding I know you can have hard days but I'm sure the good ones far out way the bad.

Is it true that some mothers don't produce enough milk? I've heard so many people say yes and so many say no.

Ayla

Very very very few women actually cannot produce enough milk. If there is a problem with supply it's more often then not a result of other factors (ie: poor latching, mental or emotional stress, discomfort, etc).

How Strange

Hobbitfeet, the good most def outweigh the bad. I'm at the stage where my son gives me a big gummy smile mid feed and sometimes has a little chat with my nipple still in his mouth. It cracks me up every time

I'm not sure about milk supply. I've got an oversupply which brings it's own dramas. That's where La Leche League are invaluable. You'll get good, balanced advice and excellent support.

obscurething

I think the health professionals are more pro breastfeeding in theory than in practise. I just presummed I would breastfeed and didn't consider there would be any difficulties. In hospital my little one had problems latching on and I got so much conflicting advice from so many different midwives that my head was spinning and went home expressing and topping up - just to get out of hospital. On day four I rang my local la leche league they were very supportive, showed be how to latch my daughter on, gave me lots of very practical sheets with info on wet and dirty nappies and we have been exclusively breastfeeding from then. I have not found them a bit militant just very very supportive. I would advise you to go to a meeting beforehand, see other mothers feeding and maybe stick to the advice of one person.

Like you deemark none of my immediate family had breastfeed, while my mother was a bit negative (only because she felt she couldn't help enough) she has taken to dropping it into conversations now and marvels at the speed when the baby is hungary.

I did buy a big box of formula - while it has remained unopened it was nice to know it was there. I did have cracked nipples etc. but nothing too dramatic and it passed. I think the toughest thing at the start is the sheer time the baby feeds for. Can be every two hours for half an hour plus at the time and the clock starts from the start of the feed! So when this is arould the clock you can feel you are doing little else, bf babies can do alot of dirty nappies at the start - so it can feel like it is more effort than it is worth to leave the house for the first week or six! At about seven weeks for about a month I expressed 3-4 ozs every morning and went to bed after the eight / nine o'clock feed and my partner fed her at about 11ish and she would fall fast asleep. This way I was guarenteed a few hours sleep in a row (bliss) and could face whatever happened in the night) I found this essential as at this stage you want to be up and about and I never had a baby who would nap during the day.

Now (my daughter is almost 19 weeks) and I am so happy we stuck with it and got help when things were not going so well. For the last month or we are really feeling the benefits, we can feed anywhere. She's a very contented baby, just throw a few nappies and a change of clothes and we're off for the day, she is sleeping 7 hours plus a
night (most nights : ) so we don't need that expressed bottle anymore. It's funny you think you'll feed for six weeks, then six months and now we're thinking we'll last a bit beyond that.

Hobbitfeet

obscurething wrote: »

At about seven weeks for about a month I expressed 3-4 ozs every morning and went to bed after the eight / nine o'clock feed and my partner fed her at about 11ish and she would fall fast asleep. This way I was guarenteed a few hours sleep in a row (bliss) and could face whatever happened in the night) I found this essential as at this stage you want to be up and about and I never had a baby who would nap during the day.

Brilliant idea will be trying this for sure

Nicole22

I breastfed my son for 3mths and I plan on breast feeding this baby for at least 6mths. Like a previous poster said, I think you hear countless negative stories about breastfeeding but I never had a single problem doing it. No mastitis,cracked nipples, not even sore nipples. Also my son had no problem gaining weight at all! I fed on demand, he fed almost once an hour in the day and every 2hrs at night but its so easy I genuinely didnt mind. It is an amazing experience and I cant wait to do it again.
Only thing I'll be doing differently this time is once the baby gets to 3mths I'll start getting him/her used to feeding from bottles so I can express a few for during the night and let daddy give me a break. My mother breastfed 4 children so it was normal to me growing up. Sadly out of all my friends, aunts etc I'm the only one that breastfed past the first week. I dont know why this is. I never had a negative comment from anyone, and even though I didnt know anyone who breastfed apart from my mother, everyone was very supportive. That said I didnt go out and about much so dont have much experience doing it in public. I was a bit reluctant to do it on my son. This time though I'm not going to give a damn and I plan on doing it whenever or wherever I need to! Its about time Ireland copped on and changed its opinions towards breastfeeding. Like you all said if someone has a problem with it then thats their problem!

Statistician

Our experience of breast feeding:

Advantages:
- Best food you can get.
- No sterilising bottles etc.
- Convenience, it's easy to feed a baby back to sleep at 4:30 in the morning, or if out shopping etc.
- Amazing antibodies thing going on.

Disadvantages:
- Worry that the baby is getting enough to eat. (We kept a careful note of weight for a few weeks, and checked nappy usage)
- Various problems may need to be overcome, eg, hind milk/fore milk imbalance, over or under supply, flow rate. If there is a breastfeeding support group handy than there is often lactation consultants on hand.
- Mother has to be careful that they are eating, eg alcohol. (Don't drink Aldi shandy if you want to sleep!)
- Reliance on mother for feeding, unless you can work out expressing milk without oversupply issues.

On balance, if at all possible I would definitely go for breast feeding. Our experience was that there were various problems that needed to be solved.
What other people think doesn't even enter into it.

(PS, I can believe I learnt so much about this )

lasser

theblueeyz wrote: »

My wife has breastfed our son since the day he was born, and does so in public without any issues at all (so far).

We're adamant BF advocates. Formula has its place; some women can't produce enough milk to breastfeed, or other issues get in the way like illness. I get that. But in the normal, everyday case, breastfeeding is FAR more beneficial to the child (and the mom!) than formula.

We're pretty disappointed to see the dismal BF rates here in Ireland.

It is extremely rare that a mother can not produce enough milk for their baby and is widely misunderstood that is part of the problem in our society BF is just not understood, baby feeds a lot and the mother is told oh your not producing enough milk you need to give formula top ups so the mother folows the bad advice they have been given cos they just don;t understand that baby is feeding a lot in order to in crease mothers milk supply and after a short time usually only 2-3 days supply will have increased and baby will feed more efficiently - imo formula is for mothers who simply can not BF under cercumtances beyond their control e.g my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer when I was born and 3 days after had a full masectomy (sp?) she had no other choice but to use formula and in cercumstacnes where there real is no other choice formula is a great substitute but is certainly not to be seen, as good in any way as BM
BM has 200 compounds to it that formula companies will openly admit they have only be able to identify and replicate 50 of those compounds they are not even close to figuring out the remaining 150 compounds - BM is best always!!!!!

lynski

Love seeing the totally positive breastfeeding comments. I am currently breastfeeding my third, he is the first one that i have demand fed, co-slept and until this week no bottles at all - he is 19 wks. ( and wow the nappies after that :eek:)

He is sooo happy!
I had some probs at first, but some research and we were away without a lookback.
No mastitis, no cracked nipples, no blocked ducts, no mad feeding frenzies,no crazy growth spurts. babies gained weight so well we had the prob of phns thinking they were over weight;-).

Feeds last only 10 mins or so, and they moved to 3/4 hrs apart very quickly. I am back to pre-preggy weight. Overall he feeds, he laughs, he sleeps, yes sometimes at 4am, and sometimes not, but he never cries more then for a minute or 2.

The other 2 were bf for 6 mths and then they self-weaned to bottles as soon as they could hold a bottle.

It is the easiest way to feed your baby, the normal way to feed your baby and the pros out-weigh the cons by a mile, IMHO.

Evil-p

I am still breastfeeding my little girl who is 7 months. I had her in the rotunda and other than 2-3 days of sore, bruised feeling nipples and thrush for a week or so I haven't had any major problems.

My daughter has never had formula and never will because I have milk that’s tailor-made just for her. She never has a sore belly, trapped wind, constipation and all the other complications that can come with formula. She is a very happy bubbly little baba.

I am proud of breastfeeding her and will do it anywhere. I am always discrete but don't cover up with feeding covers or anything. I have never sensed negativity off anyone. I have got a few "Oh, are you still feeding her comments". Its blows my mind that people expect me to put her on formula.

I would probably be classed as a member as the breastfeeding mafia as we are sometimes called but heres why: breastfeeding, is without a doubt, the loveliest thing i have ever experienced. The feeling of knowing how well i am nourishing my baby, the release of feel good hormones every time i feed her, and the easiest weight i have ever lost are all part of it. I know when people choose to formula feed they sometimes feel judged by people who breastfeed. The only way I can explain it is trying to explain to someone how amazing steak tastes but they will only try tofu! That’s why breastfeeders are so passionate about it, we just want everyone to feel what we can feel!

optogirl

I am due in December and really hoping to breast feed and will probably express too so OH can have a go!
The only thing is that I will have to return to work after 6 months so weaning will have to start well before that - anyone with experience of this? How long did you breastfeed for and how was the return to work?

Evil-p

optogirl wrote: »

I am due in December and really hoping to breast feed and will probably express too so OH can have a go!
The only thing is that I will have to return to work after 6 months so weaning will have to start well before that - anyone with experience of this? How long did you breastfeed for and how was the return to work?

Hi Optogirl,

There is no reason at all that you would have to wean before returning to work. You have a few options.

- Express in work and continue breastfeeding morning and night

- Supplement with formula during the day and continue breastfeeding morning and night.

There are some serious advantages to continuing breastfeeding after 6 months. The continued protection from your immunity is brilliant when babies pick up everything going in creche or the child minders. Also breastmilk contains pain relieving properties so when you have the long and difficult nights of teething its a godsend. Also its a lovely way to reconnect after work.

Also don't be too concerned with having your OH bottlefeed the little one. My daughter won't accept a bottle since she was a few weeks old so my partner has only bottle fed her a couple of times. And i can honestly say she is a complete Daddys girl. Feeding does not equal bonding. In fact throughout history it was always the women’s job to feed the baby so man must have an evolutionary ability to bond with their babies. My daughter is fed from an open cup or sippy cup if i'm no here to feed her so I can get out if i want!

You should go to a Cuidui or LLL meeting before you have your baby. They are always happy to see expectant mothers and seeing other women feed will help normalise it for you, as well as the tips you will get!!

I hope some of that helps.

How Strange

optogirl my son will be 7.5 momths when I'm going back to work. I intend to breastfeed him for a year so I intend to express in work 2 or 3 times day. I'll feed him before I leave in the morning at 7am and as soon as we get home at 6pm and another feed at bedtime 7.30pm. The milk I'll express will be given to the creche.

However I've noticed that my supply at 5.5months now follows my sons feeding patterns so if he goes 4 hours between feeds I'm not engorged. I presume this means that if I didn't want to express at work my supply would quickly adjust to morning and evening feeds. Nature really is amazing!

With breastfeeding just take it one day at a time to start. Don't worry about 6 months or next week. You'll figure out what suits you as you go along.

Hobbitfeet

Found this article about breastfeeding and going back to work

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/birth_family_relationships/after_your_baby_is_born/breastfeeding.html

lonestargirl

How Strange wrote: »

I presume this means that if I didn't want to express at work my supply would quickly adjust to morning and evening feeds. Nature really is amazing!

This is exactly what happens. I went back to work last week, a few days before he turned 6 months. It was all very sudden as we moved home from the US 3 months ago and I got a call offering me a job and started 3 weeks later. My guy is a food guy during the day, it's very hard to get him to drink milk (either boob or bottle). He gets some formula and 3 meals in the creche and I feed him morning and evening. It settled down quickly and I don't get engorged or have any leakage. I would have liked to express but it's not practical in our situation.

How Strange

Hobbitfeet wrote: »

Found this article about breastfeeding and going back to work

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/birth_family_relationships/after_your_baby_is_born/breastfeeding.html

But its important to note that this only applies to women who return to work within 6 months of giving birth so if you take your full 6 months maternity leave then your employer doesn't have to make any exceptions such as special facilities or time off work for breastfeeding mothers. Essentially the law was never updated when the maternity leave was increased from 4 to 6 months.

I didn't know this until a HR manager who was a breastfeeding mother pointed it out in a La Leche League meeting.

smileyeyes

Hi Girls, Apologies I am coming in to this conversation so late.....:rolleyes:

I began breastfeeding my 1st (he was born by emergency CS). On the 3rd day after his birth, he started taking seizures and had extremely low blood sugars. They called it Transient Hypoglycaemia and Hyper Insulinism. We are lucky that he survived unharmed T.G..... This might seem off the topic but I stopped breast feeding immediately as (1) he was too ill and (2) I blamed myself and part of me still does. I got it into my head that he wasn't getting enough milk from me so therefore, blood sugar levels dropped so low he started having seizures. He had every test under the sun including 2 lumbar punctures at 6 days old & MRI's etc. The docs did their best to reassure me that it wasn't my fault and it was 'just one of those things'!! They never found a reason for the seizures! But as I said he is a perfectly healthy 6 year old now!!

Because of this I didn't breastfeed my 2nd child (now 20mths old). I was petrified so bottle fed from the off.

I am now in the early stages (6wks) of pregnancy with our 3rd child and as this may be the last baby, part of me would love to have the courage to breastfeed but that fear is still there........

What would you do in my situation???

How Strange

smileyeyes, I'd advise getting inntouch with your nearest La Leche League and having a chat with them. They're a wonderful free source of information on all things breastfeeding and they should put your mind at ease. Also it will be a great benefit to have those contacts established when your baby is born as you can ring them up with queries, worries etc.

They should be able to give you the confidence to breastfeed your baby if that's what you want to do.

smileyeyes

How Strange wrote: »

smileyeyes, I'd advise getting inntouch with your nearest La Leche League and having a chat with them. They're a wonderful free source of information on all things breastfeeding and they should put your mind at ease. Also it will be a great benefit to have those contacts established when your baby is born as you can ring them up with queries, worries etc.

They should be able to give you the confidence to breastfeed your baby if that's what you want to do.

thank you very much for your reply How Strange!! That is a great idea! I was unaware that you can contact them prior to having a baby!:rolleyes:

Thanks again for your advice.....I feel I just need reassuring that I wasn't to blame and that there is no reason for me not to try breastfeeding this time round......

Cat Melodeon

smileyeyes wrote: »

thank you very much for your reply How Strange!! That is a great idea! I was unaware that you can contact them prior to having a baby!:rolleyes:

Thanks again for your advice.....I feel I just need reassuring that I wasn't to blame and that there is no reason for me not to try breastfeeding this time round......

I agree with How Strange, LLL are brilliant for helping with things like general confidence. What a frightening experience you had! It's very hard not to blame yourself even when it's clear it's nothing you did. If you had formula fed your first and the same thing had happened, I'm sure you'd be blaming yourself for not having breastfed. I think that as parents, no matter what goes wrong we find a way of blaming ourselves, even if it is something completely and utterly beyond our control. Good luck with breastfeeding this time round. Check through the other links on this and the other breastfeeding threads, there are some brilliant support networks out there.

smileyeyes

Cat Melodeon wrote: »

I agree with How Strange, LLL are brilliant for helping with things like general confidence. What a frightening experience you had! It's very hard not to blame yourself even when it's clear it's nothing you did. If you had formula fed your first and the same thing had happened, I'm sure you'd be blaming yourself for not having breastfed. I think that as parents, no matter what goes wrong we find a way of blaming ourselves, even if it is something completely and utterly beyond our control. Good luck with breastfeeding this time round. Check through the other links on this and the other breastfeeding threads, there are some brilliant support networks out there.

Thank you so much Cat Melodeon for your lovely words!:);) I am definitely going to do some research into the other groups and will contact LLL also. xxx

Cat Melodeon

Just had a really nice experience this morning! I was at the shops and I ran into a girl I used to work with. She's about 22 and just had her first baby (6 weeks old now). We were chatting and I was asking her how she was getting on and she told me with a huge grin on her face that she's breastfeeding. I said that's great and she told me it's my fault! We had run in to each other once at the GP's when my lad was about 3 months old and I was feeding him - we'd been chatting for about 15 mins before she realised that's what I was doing. At the time she had been initially mortified and then kind of fascinated (did it not hurt, was it weird etc). I thought no more about it, but then this morning she told me she would never have considered it if we hadn't met that one time, it was the only time she had ever seen anyone breastfeed. Well I'm totally chuffed, determined I'll be getting the boobs out at every opportunity next time round if it can make that sort of a difference to even one person!

Lola92

Cat Melodeon, that is such a nice story!

After about 3 months I started combined feeding my daughter (previously had been exclusively BF) so that went well until she was about 5 and a half months and she just lost intrest in BF and wouldn't latch on anymore. Biggest regret ever. She is almost 8 months now and I really miss breastfeeding, which is something I never expected to feel! it really is just such an incredible bond. Honestly I would advise everybody to give it a go. The first few weeks can be tough but it really does pay off, I wish I had kept it up!

Hobbitfeet

Lola92 wrote: »

Cat Melodeon, that is such a nice story!

After about 3 months I started combined feeding my daughter (previously had been exclusively BF) so that went well until she was about 5 and a half months and she just lost intrest in BF and wouldn't latch on anymore. Biggest regret ever. She is almost 8 months now and I really miss breastfeeding, which is something I never expected to feel! it really is just such an incredible bond. Honestly I would advise everybody to give it a go. The first few weeks can be tough but it really does pay off, I wish I had kept it up!

Did you combine feed with formula or breastmilk from a bottle? I will be breastfeeding but would like to be able to express and have the opportunity to go out for a couple of hours and have someone feed the baby. But worried about rejecting breast after bottle too. Any advice?

Lola92

Hobbitfeet wrote: »

Did you combine feed with formula or breastmilk from a bottle? I will be breastfeeding but would like to be able to express and have the opportunity to go out for a couple of hours and have someone feed the baby. But worried about rejecting breast after bottle too. Any advice?

I used both, mostly expressed breast milk at first and then more formula as time went on. To be honest it was probably due to laziness and lack of sleep that I was cutting down on the expressing. I was at a stage where I just wanted to relax or sleep after she went down I the evening when I should have been pumping milk for her.

A big part of it is getting the right pump to suit you. I had 3 different ones an avent manual, avert electric and a tommie tippee manual pump. I preferred the TT most out of them all, (the avent didnt suit me) but I have heard very good things about the medela pumps, were just out my price range tbh after spending so much on pumps already.

I also used the tommie tippee closer to nature bottles which are round shaped like a boob (supposed to minimise nipple confusion). I thought they were great, a little tricky to put together at first but you soon get used to it.

I don't think it was the bottles that really affected her stopping, I had cut down to just 2 BF a day, morning and evening. I think it was the weaning that made her really lose interest.

From about 3/4 weeks I gave her a bottle of expressed milk maybe once a week just so she would take a bottle if I ever need her too ( the occasional trip out etc like yourself). This was on the reccomendation of my PHN and my cousin who BF all 3 of her kids. If this is the only time you plan on using a bottle I wouldn't worry too much about it her refusing the breast afterwards.

Anyway that was a bit longer than planned. Sorry if I sound like an advert anywhere there If you have any other questions feel free to ask.

laughingtoaster

re. expense of pumps. the local phn have breast pumps to loan to mothers. they are in high demand so talk to the phn before the baby is born and see if you can book one in advance the plastic attatchments are new for each mother, its the pump part which is reused - so there should be no worries about contamination

Lola92

That is really good to know! I am surprised to hear it though, it had never been mentioned to me by any of the 4 PHN's I have seen! It sounds like a very good service, more mums should know about it!

Eoineo

I breastfed for the first month on my first child but I won't breastfeed at all this time around. It's not that I'm against breastfeeding, if I could, I would as I really believe in the benefits for both the mother and baby.

As I had SPD/PGP on my last pregnancy and have it again, the levels of the hormone relaxin in my body will not normalise until I stop breastfeeding. I only found this out after I saw a non-maternity physiotherapist who informed me of this side effect. It seems that midwives & doctors do know about the issue of SPD/PGP & breastfeeding but are not obliged to inform you of it because of the pro-breastfeeding rules in hospital. When I had my booking in appointment for this pregnancy I was asked would I bottle or breastfeed and I explained that if the pain was bad again I wouldn't. The senior midwife & doctor both nodded and said that was the best choice and that I was well informed.

Cunning Stunt

am living abroad and breastfeeding seems to be the norm here. I am definitely gonna do it. If I was living in Ireland I have to say I think I would be a bit more reluctant to breast feed but here nobody bats an eyelid at people breastfeeding in public etc.

milkandsugar

What a great thread. I have 2 girls and both have been/ are being breast fed. I still find aspects of it hard. The fact that most of the other mothers i know have bottle fed there children and think I'm stupid /strange/ a hippy or whatever. And feel the need to let me know this. Also I do find that I get a lot of strange looks when feeding in public or even at our local playgroup. But I am a BIG fan of bf. Think it is the most natural thing in the world and best for baby and what other people think or say isn't a bf mothers problem.